RCL: Genesis 29:15-28; Psalm 105:1-11, 45b or Psalm 128; Romans 8:26-39; Matthew 13:31-33,44-52 Genesis 29:15-28 The stories of Jacob, along with the stories of Abraham, Isaac and Joseph, are part of the ancestral stories of the second part of Genesis. This particular story of Jacob and Laban’s convoluted relationship follows the first cycle of Jacob…

Genesis 29:15-28 In the story of Jacob and Laban, the trickster is tricked. Jacob, who stole his brother’s birthright, is tricked into marriage with Leah, the first daughter, displacing Rachel, the second daughter. Through this manipulation, Jacob and Laban treat Leah and Rachel as objects to be earned and bargained for. In turn, the women…

Genesis 29:15-28 Jacob was no stranger to deceit, having orchestrated enough of it against his twin brother Esau. Now, the father of his beloved Rachel turns the tables on him, switching out one daughter for the other on the night Jacob expects to consummate a marriage with Rachel. One especially interesting twist to the story…

Genesis 29:15-28 The stories of Jacob, along with the stories of Abraham, Isaac and Joseph, are part of the ancestral stories of the second part of Genesis. This particular story of Jacob and Laban’s convoluted relationship follows the first cycle of Jacob stories where his relationship to Isaac is also one filled with trickery. Jacob’s…

1 Kings 3:5-12 Desire is important. Not the sort of desire we might have for cars or money or sex or fame, but the deepest desires and longings of our hearts. Our inmost desires can clue us into what God truly desires for us. Desires can help us understand who we are becoming and what…